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Terrence Shannon Jr., former Illinois star, found not guilty in rape trial

Spenser Davis

By Spenser Davis

Published:

Terrence Shannon Jr. has been acquitted of rape and aggravated sexual battery charges by a Kansas jury.

Shannon received a not guilty verdict on Thursday, ending a week-long trial that stemmed from allegations made against him back in September of 2023. Shannon was arrested in December and missed 6 games of his senior season with the Illini during the investigation.

Shannon was ultimately cleared to re-join the Illinois basketball team on Jan. 19 and he was able to play out of the remainder of his final collegiate campaign.

Here’s video of Shannon’s reaction in the court room when the not guilty verdict was read:

Here’s a statement made by Shannon’s attorney, Mark Sutter, at the conclusion of the trial:

“We’re happy with the outcome,” Sutter said, via ESPN. “Terrence Shannon Jr. finally got his day in court. We denied the allegations back in September and on that date, we pledged that one day soon, we would have our day in court and we did. And we’re happy with the outcome. And, at the end of the day, I think the public at-large owes Shannon Jr. an apology.”

Illinois head coach Brad Underwood also shared a statement with ESPN following the verdict:

“I am thrilled for Terrence with the news of today’s verdict. Under six months of intense scrutiny, Terrence has shown tremendous composure, maturity, and focus. He can now put this behind him and move forward with his life. I, along with everyone in our Illinois Basketball program, will continue to offer Terrence our full support as he looks to fulfill his NBA dreams.”

After returning to the court in January, Shannon performed at an All-American level and helped lead Illinois to the Elite Eight. The Illini were eliminated by eventual-champions UConn, but it was the program’s first trip to the Elite Eight since 2005.

With this legal matter now behind him, Shannon can turn his attention to preparing for the 2024 NBA Draft. Shannon is expected to hear his name called at some point during the 2-day event from June 26-27.

Spenser Davis

Spenser is the news manager at Saturday Road and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.